Friday, July 31, 2009

Whew, I had planned on posting this earlier but you know how Murphy's Law goes. My DT projects have been taking FOREVER to dry due to the humidity so that put me way behind...they should have gone in the mail today but will be going tomorrow instead.

Then dh decided we needed to start butchering our meat chickens ~ before we got started we needed to seperate the calves from their mothers and add a new calf to the mix we bought last weekend. Well, all of the calves freaked out, which got the cows & bull going...running fences, getting rambunctious, etc. Ended up having our bull calf running straight through our fence back into with the cows!! Soooo, we had to seperate the new calf back out (he was the cause of all the excitement), put the calves back with their mothers then repair the fence!

After we got all that taken care of a neighbor shows up and wants to chit-chat with Eric so half an hour later we finally got to the chickens.

Long story short...things just did NOT go as planned this evening!

Anyway, I've never talked much about Rangers Archival Inks before but these inks are some of my favorites. They are of course archival as stated in the name, waterproof, and fade resistant.

These are my inks of choice when I'm working on non-porous surfaces in place of Staz-On inks. They take a bit longer to dry but AI's don't have the obnoxious smell that Staz-On inks do.

These inks also have another unique aspect that many other inks don't...they resist dye inks when used in conjunction with glossy cardstock!!

Archival Ink Resist

Supplies:

Archival Inks

Dye Ink

Ink Blending Tool

Glossy Cardstock

Rubber Stamps

Heat Gun

Instructions:

1. Stamp desired images using Archival Ink onto glossy cardstock (this won't work with any other type of paper!!!).

2. Once you're finished stamping, heat the inks to ensure all images are completely dry before moving on to the next step. If the Archival Inks haven't been allowed to dry completely once you add the dye ink to the mix it will smear making a mess.

3. Pull out your handy dandy Ink Blending Tool and dye ink of your choice...I used a variety of Distress Inks for the example but any dye ink will work.

Wipe a dry cloth over the cardstock to remove any excess inks. You will notice that the underlying Archival Ink images retain their vivid colors ~ Resisting ~ the dye inks!!

Way Cool huh????

Here is the example from yesterday as well as a card created using this same technique!

Be sure to check in tomorrow as I'll be announcing a very special Give-A-Way I have planned for all of you :)

Thursday, July 30, 2009

I had planned on actually sharing this technique today but I'm trying to finish up a few Design Team projects that have to be in the mail tomorrow so I didn't have time to do the step by step photos today.

Soooo, I thought I'd tease you instead ;) LOL!!!

Can you guess what and how I did this technique?

Any ideas?

This little gem is a card holder or mini gift box and I'll also be sharing the template to make it in addition to revealing the technique used in creating the cardstock for it.

OH!!! I also got my partial shipment of books today!!!

If you ordered a copy and haven't rec'd it yet ~ they should be in the mail tomorrow :)

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

It's hard to believe this time last year I was up in Chicago checking out all the new goodies ready to hit the market. So many things have happened over that years time it's hard to believe it's only been 365 days!

Ranger is of course releasing LOTS of great new goodies....

Cute new craft bucket...

A couple awesome new UTEE colors...Red & Green just in time for Christmas crafts!!

Wonderful new assortment of Distressed Stickles ~ YUM!!

And a fun new type of Distress Stickles ~ Clear Rock Candy!!! Sounds like loads of fun huh?

There are also loads of fun new stamps out right now...

Check out Purple Onion Designs new stamps. I just love those Noteblock stamps. Those are such a fun and versatile design. That Damask is beautiful too.

7 Gypsies has some amazing new goodies out. They offer a large version of their ATC/Photo display carousel BUT the neatest thing is the hardware for it (scroll down to almost the bottom). Crystals and other bits of fun. The Artist Printers Tray is another must have! LOVE it!!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

So glad to have all the moving and organizing out of the way so I can play again.

Today's technique is Hammered Flowers...

Nope, we're not taking flowers out to the bar and getting them tipsy ~ LOL!! It's actually a great stress reliever cause we're going to smash the heck out of them.

This is the perfect time of year to work on this technique as flowers are blooming like crazy. You need to make sure you've got freshly picked flowers so they are nice and juicy since that's what we're after. Darker colored flowers result in darker impressions but lighter colored flowers work as well. You'll need to be careful on what leaves you use as some are REALLY juicy and tend to squirt everywhere once the hammering begins.

Hammered Flowers

Supplies:

Hammer

Paper (cardstock, watercolor paper, canvas, etc)

Fresh Flowers & Leaves

Instructions:

1. Arrange the flowers and leaves in desired pattern on the paper. I am using watercolor paper for this example.

2. Cover the flowers with a second sheet of paper.

(Sorry it's blurry...)

3. Hammer the heck out of it! I use a rubber mallet but any hammer will do the trick. You want to be sure to cover the entire flower/leaf so all the juice is squeezed out and absorbed into the paper. Depending on what paper you use you may be able to see the outline of the flower coming through the paper which helps as you hammer.

4. Peel apart the two sheets of paper to reveal two original flower designs... BOTH very usable for a variety of goodies!

NOTE: the flower remains usually stick to one or the other sheet of paper. You may choose to leave these remains stuck to the paper to dry or scrape it off...totally up to you. If you leave them on the paper it will end up looking like embedded dried flowers.

The pink flower was peeled off.....

Here are some additional examples of Hammered Flowers on different types of paper....

Pink = Bazzill Cardstock, White = Ranger Sticky Backed Canvas

Plain White Cardstock (not textured)

Blue Marbled Textured Cardstock (fern leaf)

Watercolor Paper

Now that you've got these great pattern papers what do you do with them????

Well stamp on them of course!

Check out these projects I made with some of the Hammered Flowers Paper.....

This is the sticky backed canvas... I used a charcoal pencil to highlight and define the flowers a bit, added Distress Inks and some stamped images.

Here is a fun little card made using one of the watercolor paper examples. I stamped the sentiment then mounted it on a variety of pattern papers/cardstock.

And I turned this fern print into a neat little cabinet card!

So there you go a fun little stress relieving technique to get me back on track!

Hope you give it a try!

If you do, please feel free to post a link to your creation in the comments section :)

Monday, July 27, 2009

I am finally in ~ I have almost everything sorted and in it's new home. I have a box full of misc. unmounted stamps I have to find a home for (ran out of binders and pages), need to find a container for my postcard collection so I can sort what I've posted, etc. and finally I need to finish sorting the project photo boxes from the book. Most of that stuff is partially finished items from the step by step photos that I'll need to either finish off or tear apart and use for other projects.

So, here are the pics....

Painting the floor....

Finished floor ~ love the color!!!!

This is the wall immediately to your left when you enter the room. We picked up smaller of the two vintage cabinets at an auction last year for $5.00. The larger vintage cabinet is just like one my grandma used to have at her old house. It's got a set of glass doors for the top 2 shelves but I didn't have them in for this photo. We picked it up from an old gentlemen again for $5.00 early this year. The closet holds all sorts of ephemera ~ paper, game pieces, found objects, and excess materials from the book. The two boxes sitting on the floor are the stamps and book stuff I have to sort through.

This is the top shelf and top of the cabinet...I am using mason jars to hold various goodies :)

Here is the next wall which is directly behind my desk.

Next wall ~ my desk, book case, and storage behind my desk.

Shot of my desk from behind....

Close up of my desk top storage....the vintage wood shelf is actually an old post office shelf I got at a garage sale last year for 10.00. Each slot holds an ink pad.

Here is the last wall...storage ~ above is the set of cabinets, the book case and wire racks.

And of course a bit of artwork....

I love every one's ideas for storing stamps. Right now I have the wood mounted in boxes sorted by company stored in the wire racks. All of my UM stamps are in the binders that are currently in the white cabinet and on the shelf with my cardstock. I left my alpha stamps on their sheets in the original packages...I thought they would be easier to use that way than to try to store them in binders ~ all those little parts and all.

Eventually I'd like to UM most of my wood stamps except my TH and other "favorites".

Later on I'm going to have shelves put up above the windows...I will hold art work and other "goodies" up there.

So what do you think?

I'm really tickled with it and can't wait to start playing :) I'm hoping to start on a new technique tonite. Tomorrow my niece and her grandma are coming over to work on a fun altered plate project so I may share that as well!!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Well the first of the books have started arriving at their destinations!!! I've been getting lots of e-mails telling me how much they like it. It's so great to hear what you all think of the book. I'm so tickled!! It makes all the hard work and long nights well worth it! I hope to hear what you think of the techniques once you give them a try too!

I have also officially sold out of my first shipment! Totally amazed me, it seems to be selling like hotcakes!! They went much faster than I anticipated so I've got a partial order coming in about a week or so and more coming a couple weeks after that. So if you order a book in the coming days please be patient...I'm getting the books as quickly as possible and will have them shipped as soon as I get them.

Room Update...

Well, things are progressing ~ I've had to take time out of organizing to clean/freeze green beans, get the computer moved, get Ben moved in and settled into his new room and clean the house ~ it's been torn apart for so long it's good to have it back in order again! I can only take it for so long then it starts bugging the heck out of me - LOL!!

I'm hoping to have most everything put away in the room tomorrow and maybe even get photos taken to share. I'm really excited about how things look. I'm sure I'll move things around once I get in it and start working but till then things are at least finding a new home.

Storage of various items has been a challenge. I'm trying to do it on a non-existent budget so I'm using up all sorts of shoe boxes, re-purposing and scavenging other containers so it's not going to look like one of those $5,000.00 room make overs where everything is matched and perfect but it's going to be organized, functional and MINE :)

I'm not real excited about how my mounted stamps are going to be stored but until I figure out a better way it's got to work.

How do you all store your Wood Mounted Stamps?

I'd love to hear/see all about it.

Well, that's all for now...hopefully by next week things will be back in working order and I'll be able to start sharing more fun techniques, projects and ideas :)

Monday, July 20, 2009

First and foremost all of the books that were pre-ordered have been signed, sealed and shipped!! YEAH!!!! I have an extra little surprise ~ ALL of the books sent come with an extra something ~ I had more than enough projects (Cards, ATC's, Plaques, etc) from the book to share with everyone! It was originally going to be the first 25 orders but as I sorted through the "Project" boxes I found plenty to share with everyone!

Hope you all enjoy the book and the little extra. I'd love to hear what you think after you get a chance to take a look!

AND

There has been progress on my new room!!! We got Ben's stuff moved out Sat. a.m., I painted Sat. afternoon and started moving in on Sunday!! I've been working like mad trying to get everything moved from one place to another ~ sorting, containerizing, storing... I'd say I'm a little over 1/2 way done. I hope to have the rest moved tomorrow so we can get Ben's new room set up. Right now he's sleeping on the couch and complaining constantly. :S

I'm sorry about not having any project to post but I promise as soon as I get everything situated new projects, techniques and more will resume as usual!

Friday, July 17, 2009

We ended up going to an antique tractor show in Winamac IN ~ it's great...lots of neat old tractors, flea markets and good food :) It was a beautiful day in the middle 70's with a bit of a breeze. Couldn't ask for anything better. I found a few good buys for my new room so I'm excited.

Today's sketch includes one of my most loved embellishments....TAGS! I love those buggers, they are so versatile and can be bought pre-made, die-cut or hand crafted from any scrap of paper you have on hand.

Now I've left the center strip open to your interpretation but I'm thinking it could be made from fabric, pattern paper, lace, felt, etc. You might even kick it up a notch or two by layering several of these materials to create lots of depth and dimension!

Ink Stained Sketch

20090717

Remember, if you create a card using this sketch and would like to share it you can post a link or send me a scan of your card :) I'll be happy to share it with everyone here!

Take care and have an INKY weekend :)

I'm hoping to have a painted weekend!! We're going to tear apart my son's bed then rip out the carpeting so I can paint the floor!!!! Then it's off to paint and start fillin' it up! I SOOOOOOOOOOO can't wait :)

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Well, down to the last installment of Christmas in July. Today I have a Winter themed coin book to share with you. If you've never messed with a coin book before I highly suggest giving one a try. It's so much fun trying to come up with small photos, charms, embellishments, etc. to fill in all of those nifty little holes!

Any coin book will work but I like the ones with larger holes...quarter or half dollar books are my fav's.

Since this is a pretty personalized craft I'm not going to add any instructions, you can pretty much just do whatever feels good. There are no limits to the goodies you can add or techniques you can employ ~ just relax, experiment and have fun!

Here is my Winter Themed Coin Book....

Neat huh? You could spend as much or as little time as you want/have on one of these books. They would make great gifts for family or friends who live near or far! Remember by varying the themes and color schemes these books would also make awesome gifts for Birthdays, Anniversaries, or virtually any occasion!

Now, as a final Christmas/Winter hurrah you have until 7-21 to post at which time I'll draw a winner for a surprise pack of all sorts of winter/Christmas embellishments :)

Monday, July 13, 2009

Today's Christmas in July project is a fun Hanukkah plaque made from recycled chipboard and Stampbord Tiles. If you've never played with Stampbord products you're missing out on some fun. It's a unique clay coated hard backed board or tile that is perfect when paired with all sorts of rubber stamping and inking techniques. Stampbord has an in depth explanation about this way cool product. In addition to stamping, these tiles are also great for carving but that's another technique, another time.

Hanukkah ~ Festival of Light

NOTE: This can easily be transformed to fit virtually any theme. Simply change the color scheme and stamped/rub-on images & words to suit your needs!

Supplies:

Stampbord Tiles

Alcohol Inks

Blending Tool

Krylon Leafing Pen

Dimensional Pearls

Acrylic Dabber

Adirondack Dye Ink

Archival Ink

Rubber Stamps

Themed Rub-Ons

Coins

Glossy Accents

Micro Beads or Beadazzle Beads

Chipboard

Cardstock

Instructions:

1. Determine how many tiles you will be using and a basic pattern to determine placement. Draw a cheat sheet so you remember how they all fit together.

2. Add 2-3 drops of coordinating Alcohol Ink to the Blending Felt. I used Denim & Stonewashed. Apply the ink to each tile.

3. Apply rub-ons or stamp Hanukkah images on most of your tiles. (Note - save one or two to add dimensional coins to.)

4. Glue faux coins onto remaining tiles.

5. Use the Krylon Metallic Paint Pen to add gold detailing around all 4 sides of all of the tiles.

6. Apply a generous coat of Glossy Accents to the top of each tile. This seals and protects your images/rub-ons and also adds a nice shine. Set tiles aside to dry.

7. Cut scrap chipboard to desired sizes. I like to graduate my pieces as follows: main chipboard in the center, add 1" for the blue piece and 1/2" for the gold piece. For example the main chipboard might measure 5x7, blue piece - 6x8, gold 6 1/2 x 8 1/2". You may of course change your sizes to accommodate your theme, tiles, or the chipboard you have on hand.

8. Color the largest piece of chipboard 1/4" around the edges using the Krylon Gold Paint Pen. Let dry.

Teach Yourself Visually - Collage & Altered Arts

About Ink Stains

What constitutes a good day in my book? Ink Stains on my fingers! I want to share that good day feeling with you by offering up a variety of card sketches, altered projects & lay-outs, challenges and goodies to get you all Inked up!
If you've got an idea that you'd like to see or challenge for me to try I'd love to hear from you...till then, Ink On My Friends, Ink On!